1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imprinting apparatus for imprint of a pattern from a template to a subject body and, in particular, to an imprinting apparatus for imprint of a pattern from a template to a subject body with high accuracy in parallelism between the template and the subject body.
2. Description of the Related Art
An art named “nano-imprinting” for forming a nano-sized fine pattern on a resist has been under development in recent years. In the art, a negative pattern as a complement of a desired pattern on the resist is incised on a quartz substrate by an electron beam writing method with nano-sized fineness, which serves as a template (or, a stamper). Next the template is pressed on the resist with a predetermined pressure so as to imprint a positive pattern on the resist. Thereby a desired nano-sized pattern can be formed on the resist. An art of nano-imprinting is disclosed in an article of “Precision Engineering Journal of the International Societies for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology, 25 (2001) 192-199”.
In the aforementioned step of imprinting, it is important for precise formation of the pattern on the resist to closely and uniformly press the template on the resist. Precise regulation in parallelism between the template and the resist is required. For close and uniform pressing, the above article discloses a flexible support which is flexible enough to passively regulate a orientation of the template when the template is pressed to a subject body. However, the flexible support is inapplicable to a case where a pressure to press the template is relatively great, because the flexible support is made so flexible.
Any imprinting apparatus, which is capable of imprinting with a relatively great pressure, is desired.